welding sheet metal
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2001
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From: torrington,ct
welding sheet metal
Ok guys I'm finally starting my restoration project. I picked up brand new cab corners, a used but good condition battery tray and a used but some rust radiator support for 50 bucks. I'm using the radiator support as my ummm practice board. I'm hoping to repair it well enough to use it but if anything it will be a great learning experiance. I dont have alot of welding experiance, but I have enough to turn it on, set it up and use it for the most part. Its a 110volt farmhand mig. I finally picked up some shielding gas and the difference in my welds over flux core, already is unbelievable, I also picked up an auto darkening helmet, sooo nice!
The problem I'm having is that I seem to burn thru sheet metal pretty easily. I'm running on the lowest heat settings and have my wire speed set on about 4 out of 10 on the dial. I'm running .030" wire and 22 gauge sheet metal. The smallest wire I can run is .024". should I try the smaller wire? or do I still have my wire speed to high? or is it just a matter of getting more time with the welder?
Any tips and advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!
The problem I'm having is that I seem to burn thru sheet metal pretty easily. I'm running on the lowest heat settings and have my wire speed set on about 4 out of 10 on the dial. I'm running .030" wire and 22 gauge sheet metal. The smallest wire I can run is .024". should I try the smaller wire? or do I still have my wire speed to high? or is it just a matter of getting more time with the welder?
Any tips and advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!
pedant
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 23,576
Likes: 38
From: EXTREME southwest CT
In my amateur experience/opinion,
You would do better on 22ga w/ the thinner wire.
Try turning the feed up a little and moving faster.
If you can move faster, the base metal has less time to overheat given that you can't go lower w/ the amps.
I do have some copper shapes I made up in 5/16 plate. Sometimes I use these as a backup plate. weld won't stick to it and it acts as a heatsink from the off side of the weld puddle.
Glad to hear your welds are improving!
It's much less frustrating w/ gas, isn't it?
Why no gallery pic's of your project?
You would do better on 22ga w/ the thinner wire.
Try turning the feed up a little and moving faster.
If you can move faster, the base metal has less time to overheat given that you can't go lower w/ the amps.
I do have some copper shapes I made up in 5/16 plate. Sometimes I use these as a backup plate. weld won't stick to it and it acts as a heatsink from the off side of the weld puddle.
Glad to hear your welds are improving!
It's much less frustrating w/ gas, isn't it?
Why no gallery pic's of your project?
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2001
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From: torrington,ct
Ok so moving faster may help, the idea makes sense to me, i'll have to give it a try. I was also thinking of making some kind of "backing" plate or heat sink. Next time I'm at tractor supply I'll pick up some .024" wire.
The gas is amazing! no splatter at all! Most of the work I've done on the truck so far as been all mechanical, just trying to fix all the vacuum issues and wiring issues that needed to be fixed. I just started with body work today with this radiator support I picked up, but I took some pics of my work today and I'm working on getting em loaded now.
The gas is amazing! no splatter at all! Most of the work I've done on the truck so far as been all mechanical, just trying to fix all the vacuum issues and wiring issues that needed to be fixed. I just started with body work today with this radiator support I picked up, but I took some pics of my work today and I'm working on getting em loaded now.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 904
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From: PHOENIX
Try laying one bead at a time. Just touch the wire where you need a bead and pull the trigger for half a second. Then move over and do it again.
It is a little slower than laying a continuous bead but it looks neat and you will never burn through the metal.
It is a little slower than laying a continuous bead but it looks neat and you will never burn through the metal.
pedant
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 23,576
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From: EXTREME southwest CT
Originally Posted by Super Steve
Try laying one bead at a time. Just touch the wire where you need a bead and pull the trigger for half a second. Then move over and do it again.
The auto helmet makes it alot easier to see what you're doing, I don't know how I ever found the seam before it.
Hey, You're right up in the valley! I'm looking forward to the pic's
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2001
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From: torrington,ct
ya i actually tried alittle bit of that in my experiments today, and it did seem to work pretty good. haha yeah, i'm up in the northern end of the valley, actually just about at one of the highest peaks of the area. i work for a cable construction company based out of middlefield so i'm all over the state. Here's just a quick before and after shot but theres more in my gallery,
After cutting out most of the bad metal
After fabbing up and welding in the new piece.
It also seemed like when I angled it to stay alittle more on the original metal, and let the puddle roll over onto the new metal, it seemed to come out pretty nice. If you look at the middle of the piece, you'll see a bead that runs vertical, that I think came out pretty decent, now if only i could learn to work the rest of them like that.
Not bad for my first time i dont think, still needs alot of improvement tho. thanks again for all the suggestions guys
After cutting out most of the bad metal
After fabbing up and welding in the new piece.
It also seemed like when I angled it to stay alittle more on the original metal, and let the puddle roll over onto the new metal, it seemed to come out pretty nice. If you look at the middle of the piece, you'll see a bead that runs vertical, that I think came out pretty decent, now if only i could learn to work the rest of them like that.
Not bad for my first time i dont think, still needs alot of improvement tho. thanks again for all the suggestions guys
pedant
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 23,576
Likes: 38
From: EXTREME southwest CT
Great to see pics of what others are doing.
No it's not bad and you'll always be getting better.
Are you working in a horizontal position? It's much easier.
I used to go w/ a girl from Torrington and would tease her about being a 'valley girl'
(......could that have been 25 years ago? WOW!)
For us flatlanders anywhere on the 8 corridor is 'the valley'
No it's not bad and you'll always be getting better.
Are you working in a horizontal position? It's much easier.
I used to go w/ a girl from Torrington and would tease her about being a 'valley girl'
(......could that have been 25 years ago? WOW!)
For us flatlanders anywhere on the 8 corridor is 'the valley'
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: PHOENIX
Nothing a grinder or sander cant fix. Get an angle air grinder with 3inch 80-150 grit pads and grind those babies flat and fill in the holes and it will look pretty. The better you get the less grinding you will have to do. A 4inch electric grinder will work too if you don't have air, just a little harder to finesse.
You'll be ready for the body panels in no time.
You'll be ready for the body panels in no time.
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2001
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From: torrington,ct
Oh ya i got all three options, angle, straight, and a 4inch electric. in fact i had to go out and buy a new air compressor yesturday. I had been given an old old 10 gallon dayton but the motor died. So I tried getting by with my dads pancake compressor but that went like this, grrrrrrrriiiiiiinnnnddddd stop.......... ggggrrrrriinnnnddddd stop...... I picked up an eagle compressor from tractor supply, 26 gallon, 3HP, 5.6 CFM@90psi. It does a decent job of keeping up, I wish I could have gone bigger but I'm trying to save for a house in 2009 so I didn't even want to spend what I did on it.
Tuned
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 457
Likes: 115
From: Maryland
Phatpharm, check out this thread for some sheetmetal wedling tips:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...ging-tool.html
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...ging-tool.html
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Elder User
Joined: Jul 2001
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From: torrington,ct
Mornin Jim,
haha yeah, I thought I noticed a couple of threads about that.
MP&C, thank you, that thread was VERY helpful. Honestly I had kinda of been sitting here wondering, if butt welding was best or if there was a better way, and that answered it. I might get a chance to play around some more tomorrow night, and I will def. give that "dot" welding a shot, you make that come out very nice.
haha yeah, I thought I noticed a couple of threads about that.
MP&C, thank you, that thread was VERY helpful. Honestly I had kinda of been sitting here wondering, if butt welding was best or if there was a better way, and that answered it. I might get a chance to play around some more tomorrow night, and I will def. give that "dot" welding a shot, you make that come out very nice.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
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From: Atlanta GA
Welding exhaust and sheet metal is tough sometimes. What I do is use .023 copper wire and the 75/25 gas. I then set the welder to a low heat and a faster wire. Tack in a couple of places to hold. Chip any slag. Then run a quick bead using two hands.
What you can try is put the nozzle on the metal at an angle with the wire just touching where you want to weld, hit the trigger, and just move it about an inch and let off.
When I blow a hole, what I do is set it at the lowest possible heat setting and a fast wire speed and do a very fast zig zag/circle while building it up. Then I get the grinder out.
What you can try is put the nozzle on the metal at an angle with the wire just touching where you want to weld, hit the trigger, and just move it about an inch and let off.
When I blow a hole, what I do is set it at the lowest possible heat setting and a fast wire speed and do a very fast zig zag/circle while building it up. Then I get the grinder out.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 176
Likes: 13
Mixed gas 75/25 The Argon will cut down penetration for you. Use .023 wire - ER70s-6 is a good all around wire and will perform very well.
You can also try reversing the poliarity on your machine. I have never tried it for this application "solid wire" but an old codger says it will work.
You can also hand feed 36" bare rod at the same time you are using the mig. You are not after Xray quality so there isn't anything wrong with doing this.
You can also try reversing the poliarity on your machine. I have never tried it for this application "solid wire" but an old codger says it will work.
You can also hand feed 36" bare rod at the same time you are using the mig. You are not after Xray quality so there isn't anything wrong with doing this.
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 8,922
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As far as body work welding & gas type goes you should only use c02 for body work. Mixed gases put impurities into the weld that can lead to problems with body work and painting.
A friend of mine that attended a PPG paint school told me this.
A friend of mine that attended a PPG paint school told me this.